


backwards forwards undo

by Littorella, PaintingWithWords (paint_with_words)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Don’t copy to another site, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Light Angst, M/M, Other, Time Travel, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-24 06:05:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17699036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littorella/pseuds/Littorella, https://archiveofourown.org/users/paint_with_words/pseuds/PaintingWithWords
Summary: A box of magic chocolates arrives in the mail. Each one transports the eater back to any moment of their choosing. Yuuri quickly finds that correcting the past moments he's less than proud of doesn't quite work out as envisioned.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The lovely people over at the WeWriteVictuuri Discord server came up with the idea for a Valentine's Day Challenge. Alli came up with the wonderful idea and made the lovely illustration, we worked out the storyline on Discord, and Anne hammered it out.
> 
> Also, many thanks to Louciferish for the beta!

Yuuri looked at the heart-shaped box of chocolates in his lap and sighed.  He received it in the mail as a promotion and, even though Valentine’s had been over for a month and he was on a rigorous training schedule and diet, he really wanted to eat them.  Viktor knew he had them, and he had even said it was fine to indulge a little.

“Why not?” Viktor said as they were getting ready to head out to the rink for the day.  “If you only eat one a day, how much damage can it do?”

So now Yuuri was sitting on the couch, the box in his lap.  One a day. Viktor was right. How much damage could one little chocolate do?

He opened the box and looked inside.  Seven delicious looking hand-dipped chocolates were in the box.  But what kind were they? There wasn’t a handy little guide printed inside the lid or on the back to tell him what was what, so it would be guesswork.  

Yuuri picked up the one closest to him and smiled.

Viktor was right.  What harm could it do?

He bit into the chocolate, humming in satisfaction.  It was a truffle, covered in dark chocolate, and practically melted in his mouth.  He closed his eyes and sighed.

As he ate the chocolate, his mind drifted.   _What harm could it do?_   The phrase kept turning around in his mind.  He wished that there were things he could do over again, things that had delayed the beginning of his relationship with Viktor.  He thought back to the first time he recalled meeting Viktor, at the end of the Grand Prix in Sochi. He’d heard Viktor say his name, or so he thought.  Too late he realized that Viktor was talking to Yuri, who walked by his side, but Yuuri had already turned around to look at Viktor. And Viktor had caught the motion and turned to face him.

“A commemorative photo?” Viktor said, smiling.  “Sure!”

Like an idiot, he had turned away.  He didn’t think he was worthy of having his picture taken with his idol, the man who inspired him.  Certainly not after his shoddy performance on the ice, flubbing his jumps and falling down like a novice.  No, he wasn’t worthy of sharing the ice- or a photograph- with Viktor.

 _I wish I had it to do all over again_ , he thought.   _If I did, I would have taken that picture_.

A chill passed through Yuuri, making him shudder. When he opened his eyes, he wasn’t sitting on the couch in their apartment in Saint Petersburg.  Instead he was standing in the foyer of the arena in Sochi.  And Viktor was in front of him, clad in his Olympic team tracksuit, smiling softly at him.

“A commemorative photo?” Viktor said, warm and inviting.  “Sure!”

For a second, Yuuri was frozen to the spot.  He blinked at Viktor, wondering if he was dreaming.  But he could still taste the delicious chocolate in his mouth.  He turned and saw Celestino standing next to him and Morooka just beyond him.  Yuuri swallowed, unsure what was happening.

“Yuuri!” Morooka yelled at him.  “Don’t you want to have your picture taken with Viktor?”

That decided it.

Was he being given a second chance?  Could he actually make things better?

He was definitely willing to try.

Yuuri turned back to Viktor and gave him his best smile, the smoldering Eros smile that Viktor had coaxed out of him over all those long months.

“Great,” he said, exuding an air of confidence.  Without a second thought, he let go of his suitcase and walked right up to Viktor.  He slipped an arm around Viktor’s waist, like he had so many times before, and smiled broadly for the camera.  

He felt Viktor stiffen ever so slightly under his grasp.  The camera snapped and he looked at Viktor, expecting to see the wonderful warm smile he always had whenever someone took their picture.  Instead, Viktor’s expression was set in that fake smile reserved for the media, the one that never reached his eyes. If anything, Viktor appeared cold and remote.

“Thank you,” he managed as Viktor pulled away.  

“Of course,” Viktor said, dismissive.  He grabbed his suitcase and headed back towards Yakov and Yuri without a backwards glance.

As they walked away, Yuuri could hear Yuri hissing in the background. “God, he’s just as handsy when he’s sober,” the younger skater muttered.  “He’s almost as big of a jerk as that stupid Canadian asshole.  What a pig.”

Yuuri could only stand there and watch the love of his life walk away.

“Come on, Yuuri,” Celestino admonished.  “We need to go. That’s enough fooling around with Viktor.”

He let Celestino lead him away, but he couldn’t help but wonder if somehow or another he’d made things worse.  He hung his head and sighed.

The next thing Yuuri knew, he was back in his old room in Hasetsu, sitting cross-legged on his narrow bed, staring up at his posters of Viktor.

What-?  How-?  What was going on?  He looked down and was surprised to see that the box of chocolates was in his lap.  He opened it up and found that it was exactly the same: one chocolate had been eaten and the other six were still there.  

What the hell- !?

A knock on his door startled him out of his thoughts.

“Yuuri,” Mari said through the door, “Mom says dinner will be ready in a few minutes.  Come down and join us this time, okay?”

“O- okay,” Yuuri replied, barely remembering to thank her.  He heard her footsteps go down the hall and then down the stairs.

What was he doing back home?  He picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts, but Viktor’s number wasn’t there.  Fighting off a rising surge of panic, he scrolled over to his Wikipedia page and gasped out loud at what he saw.

The information about him there was wrong, all wrong.  It said that after he graduated from college, he returned home and retired from figure skating.  It said he was helping to run his family’s onsen, and that his last coach was Celestino. There was no mention of Viktor ever being his coach at all!  Viktor’s name was only mentioned once on his page, at the very bottom next to the picture of the two of them from Sochi. In the picture, Viktor looked irritated, almost annoyed.  Yuuri thought he looked like an overzealous fan, leaning way too far into Viktor’s personal space.

Oh God, he had been a _fool_.

By trying to make things better between them, he made them worse, so that nothing ever happened between them.

Without hesitation, Yuuri took another chocolate out of the box, thought about that fateful meeting in Sochi, and ate the chocolate.  Immediately he was back in Sochi, standing in front of Viktor again, gazing up at his soft smile.

“A commemorative photo?” Viktor asked.  “Sure!”

Yuuri knew what would happen if he accepted Viktor’s generous offer.  Viktor would never come to Japan to coach him. They would never get to know one another.  They would never fall in love.

It took everything in him to turn and walk away from the love of his life, to just leave Viktor standing there.

“Yuuri!” Morooka yelled at him.  “Don’t you want to take your picture with Viktor?”

Yuuri ignored Morooka, concentrating on putting as much distance between Viktor and himself as he could, one step at a time.

Without warning, he was back on the couch in Saint Petersburg, the box of chocolates in his lap.  The door opened, startling him. He looked up to see Viktor walk in with Makkachin, that oh-so-familiar soft smile on his face.  Yuuri put the box of chocolates on the coffee table, shot off the couch, and swept Viktor up in his arms.

Later that evening, Viktor gently admonished him for eating two chocolates that day.  Without comment, Yuuri put them in the pantry. When Viktor was gone, he could throw them away.  

The next day, the dark clouds hanging over Saint Petersburg produced rain instead of snow.  Yuuri opened the pantry, looking for some broth for ramen, but his eye caught the red glint of the box of chocolates he’d put there the day before.

Had those things really happened?  Had he really eaten a chocolate and travelled into the past?  Yuuri sighed to himself.  No, that was impossible.  Most likely, he’d probably eaten the two chocolates, dozed off on the couch, and had a bad dream.

Standing in the kitchen, he took one of the chocolates out of the box and bit into it.  It was so strange that he’d dreamed of trying to change their first meeting. Really, if he was going to go back and change something, he would go back to the Ice Castle on the day that Viktor told him he wanted him to skate to “On Love: Eros”-

An instant later, Yuuri found himself on the ice again.  Yuri was beside him, hissing and spitting like one of the stray cats that lived in the alley behind the Ice Castle.  Viktor was right in front of him, gliding up to him on his skates, a seductive look in his eyes.

“I hope I can see your eros soon,” Viktor said, the pad of his thumb brushing over Yuuri’s lower lip.  The first time Viktor had done that, Yuuri stood there in shock, dumbfounded.  He had been so innocent then.  But now… now he knew what to do when Viktor closed the distance between them.  He knew what Viktor liked and just  how to please him.

Without breaking eye contact, he moved forward just enough to take Viktor’s thumb in his mouth.  He darted the tip of his tongue across the pad, giving Viktor a taste of what was to come.  He pulled back, his teeth lightly scraping over the knuckle, and let Viktor's thumb slip from his mouth and leave a wet trail across his bottom lip.

“Tell me what you want and it’s yours, Vitya,” Yuuri breathed.  If there was something he wanted to speed up, this would be it. They had wasted so much time dancing around each other-

Viktor’s eyes flew wide and he drew back, almost as if burned.  His bangs fell across his eyes and he wiped his thumb on the back of his sweatpants.  

“Um, okay then,” Viktor said, paling.  He forced a laugh and turned to Yuri.

“Yurio, let’s start with you, okay?” Viktor said, stretching an arm across Yuri’s shoulders and leading him away.

Yuuri watched them skate off, wondering if somehow or another, he’d managed to screw things up yet again.

The next thing Yuuri knew, he was back in Hasetsu, standing in the kitchen, the box of chocolates in his hand.  Three were missing. Only four were left.

Was he having another dream?  But what if-

“Yuuri!” his mother said, coming into the kitchen with a tray full of dirty dishes.  He blinked at her, confused.

“Don’t let the dishes pile up, Yuuri,” she said, setting the bowls down beside a tall stack of dishes that needed to be washed.  She looked at him and softly sighed.

“I know you’re stressed, but now’s not the time for sweets.  Put those away for later.  When you’re done, Minako wants you to come sit with her.  Ice skating is about to be on.”

Yuuri looked over at the sink, full of soapy water, then down at the box in his hands.  Obediently, he put the box on a high shelf where it was safe from the water.  Despite the sense of dread he felt coiling in the pit of his stomach, he pulled on the gloves and quickly did the dishes.  As soon as he finished, he went out into the dining room.  Minako was seated at her usual table in front of the television, several empty bottles in front of her.

“Hey Yuuri,” she slurred when he sat next to her, “you’re just in time.  Yurio’s about to skate.”

Gratefully he accepted the glass she handed him and downed it in one quick shot.  The sake burned on the way down, hitting his belly like fire.

He barely noticed Yuri’s routine.  Instead, Yuuri was filled with dread, afraid that at the end of the routine he would see-

And there he was, trying so hard to be a good coach, waiting for Yuri at the boards with skateguards and jacket in hand.

Viktor.

Viktor- _his_ Viktor- was Yuri’s coach.

Viktor handed Yuri his skateguards and slipped the jacket over his shoulders as they made their way to the kiss and cry.

Yuuri couldn’t help the tears that slipped free.

“Oh Yuuri,” Minako said sadly, “that should have been you there with Viktor. It’s such a shame you lost the competition in the Ice Castle.”

Numb, Yuuri stood up and dashed back into the kitchen.  The box was right where he’d left it.

With shaking hands, he opened the box, took out a chocolate, and put it in his mouth.

Instantly, he was back in the Ice Castle.  Yuri was beside him, fuming about being made to skate to “On Love: Agape”.  Smooth as always, Viktor glided across the ice to Yuuri with that seductive look in his eyes.  He reached up and let his thumb trail across Yuuri’s lower lip.

“I hope I get to see your eros soon,” Viktor breathed, looking down into his eyes, almost daring him to rise to the challenge.

Yuuri knew what was at stake.  If he reacted in kind, Viktor would return to Russia with Yuri and become his coach.  Everything rode on this one moment.

He was terrified of doing the wrong thing again.  He was scared, so scared-

“Hey!” Yurio yelled.  “I thought you were supposed to be teaching me first!”

“Of course,” Viktor purred.  He skated away, leaving Yuuri standing there alone, hoping he had fixed things.

A moment later, Yuuri found himself in their kitchen in Saint Petersburg, staring into the pantry.  Heavy drops of rain peppered the window and water for the eggs was boiling on the stove.

Yuuri looked down at the box of chocolates in his hand.  There were only three now.

“Yuuri?” Viktor said, coming into the kitchen fresh from a shower, a towel wrapped around his waist.  “How’s dinner coming?”

Yuuri looked at Viktor, standing there with water dripping off his hair.  He shoved the box back in the pantry, turned off the water on the stove, and wrapped his arms around Viktor.

“Let’s order in,” he said, pulling Viktor down for a kiss.

The next day, Yuuri had a hard time concentrating at the rink.  He flubbed jump after jump, either under rotating them or flat out failing to land them.  He knew he’d have quite the collection of bruises in a couple of days. But Yuuri couldn’t stop thinking about that box of chocolates.  

He knew that he should just toss them out, that the danger they represented was something he should not mess with.  But there were good things he could do with them, he was certain.

Viktor could tell that something was bothering Yuuri and called an early halt to practice.

“You’re not really here right now, Yuuri,” he said gently.  “If you keep this up, you risk injuring yourself. It would be better to switch and focus on other elements.  Obviously this isn’t working right now.”

Yuuri knew he was right.  He knew that it was just Viktor trying to be a good coach and looking out for him, but it made him feel so weak when Viktor did these things.  He didn’t want Viktor to perceive him as weak.

And, just like that, Yuuri knew what he wanted to change.

When they got home, Viktor pulled the laundry out of the dryer.  As soon as Viktor turned his back to him and started folding clothes, Yuuri got the box of chocolates out of the pantry, sat down at the bar, and ate one.

Instantly, he was back in the parking lot in Beijing, waiting for his turn to skate at the Cup of China.  Viktor stood in front of him, clearly at a loss as to how to motivate him.  He tossed his hair out of his face and said, “Yuuri, if you fail to make the podium, I’ll take responsibility by resigning as your coach.”

Originally, when Viktor had said that, it had broken Yuuri’s heart.  God, those words _still_ hurt.  But this time, he couldn’t break down and cry in front of Viktor.  He _couldn’t_.  It would strengthen their relationship so much if he didn’t appear weak in front of the man that he loved.

He bit down on his lower lip and blinked back tears.  He was not going to cry, not this time.

“I know you’re just trying to motivate me, Viktor,” he said, trying to sound as confident as possible.  “But I’m not as weak as you might think.  I’ll make the podium, you’ll see.”

Across from him, Viktor gave him a grim look.  “Yuuri, don’t hide things from me. It’s okay if you’re feeling a little nervous right now-”

“I’m fine, you’ll see,” Yuuri replied.  He drew himself up and forced a smile. “We need to get back, Viktor.  It’s almost time.”

They walked back in silence.  When Yuuri skated, he did it with all the determination he could muster.  He skated the program exactly as he had the first time he’d lived this moment, including the surprise quadruple flip, Viktor’s signature move, at the end of his performance.  He would show Viktor just how strong he could be.

When he headed off the ice and saw Viktor there, waiting for him at the boards, he braced himself.  He knew Viktor would launch himself across the ice and kiss him in front of everyone. But this time, Viktor stayed where he was.  Yuuri reached the boards and Viktor congratulated him, handed him his skateguards, and draped his jacket over his shoulders, just like he had for Yuri.

Yuuri was in a daze as Viktor led him to the kiss and cry.  They sat down, waiting for the score to come in, but Yuuri had the sinking feeling that he’d messed things up again.  He always messed things up.

He was going to come out of this and wind up in the onsen again, wasn’t he?  As the score came in, Yuuri’s resolve broke and a single tear slipped down his face.

The kiss and cry faded away and Yuuri found he was back at the rink in Saint Petersburg, not at the onsen. Giddy with relief, he looked across the ice and saw Viktor talking to Yuri.  He was ready to skate across the ice to hug and kiss Viktor, but a glint of gold caught his eye. He looked down at his right hand and was shocked to see that his ring finger was bare.  There wasn’t even the telltale shrunken band of flesh where the ring should be.

Instead, on his wrist, there was a gold chain.  A bracelet.

Yuuri looked across the ice and saw a matching gold bracelet on Viktor’s right wrist.

What did this mean?

As he watched, Viktor patted Yuri on the shoulder and sent him off to skate.  Then he glided across the ice, coming towards Yuuri.

Yuuri swallowed, nervous.  At least he was in Saint Petersburg.  At least Viktor was still in his life.  But where were their rings?  Why did they have matching bracelets?

“Yuuri,” Viktor said as he came to a stop next to him.  “Good work out there today, but I want you to practice the quad loop again.  You’ve been kind of shaky on it, so focus on that for now, alright?”

“Viktor,” he murmured hesitantly, “w-why are we wearing these?”  He held up his wrist for Viktor to see.

Viktor gave him a concerned look.  

“Did you hit your head when you fell earlier?” he asked.  Yuuri shook his head. He _wished_ he’d hit his head.  That would be better than this.

“They’re the friendship bracelets you bought for us in Barcelona,” Viktor said.  “Mine was a present for coaching you and yours was a good luck charm. When we met everyone at dinner, I joked that they were best friend bracelets and the joke kind of stuck.  Are you sure you’re feeling alright?  You look a little pale.”

“I-” Yuuri began.  “Maybe I should sit down.”  He turned away from Viktor and skated over to the boards.  Quickly he slapped on his skateguards and made his way to his gym bag, sitting next to Viktor’s and Yuri’s in the stands.  He sat down heavily and began rifling through his bag, hoping to find the box of chocolates.  Just as he was about to panic and upend the contents onto the floor, his hand closed on the familiar heart shape and he pulled it out.  He opened the box- only two were left.

“I’m not going to hide anything from you, my Vitya,” he whispered, putting the chocolate in his mouth.

Once again, he was back in the parking lot.  Only this time, he didn’t put on a brave face.  This time, when Viktor said he’d resign as his coach if he failed to make the podium, Yuuri wept.  

He cried out of fear, fear of not having Viktor in his life.  Fear of screwing things up yet again.  Every time he tried to make something better, it came out worse.  So much worse.  Eventually, when he had cried all he could, he looked up at Viktor, who stood a short distance away from him, bewildered and uncertain.

“We need to get back,” he said weakly to Viktor.  “It’s almost time.”

Yuuri went out and skated.  He’d done all he could to repair the mistakes he’d made.  He could only hope it was enough.

At the end, after he put Viktor’s quad flip in his program, he headed towards the boards.  Before he could get off the ice, Viktor threw himself at Yuuri, kissing him in front of everybody.

The sense of relief that flooded through Yuuri was profound.

The next thing Yuuri knew, he was back in the apartment he shared with Viktor in Saint Petersburg.  He looked down at his right hand and almost cried when he saw his ring. Sighing, he kissed it and almost jumped when Viktor came up behind him.

“Yuuri,” Viktor purred in his ear, “you were only supposed to eat one chocolate a day!  You’ve only had the box for three days and there’s only one left!”

Too quick to stop him, Viktor reached out, plucked the chocolate out of the open box, and ate it.

“Viktor!” Yuuri cried. “NO-”

But it was too late.  Viktor vanished right before his eyes.

The box fell out of Yuuri’s numb hands.  Oh God, Viktor had eaten the _last chocolate_!  If he tried to change something and messed it up, he couldn’t fix it!

It was all Yuuri could do to remain calm.  He checked his phone, making sure that Viktor’s number didn’t disappear or that his Wikipedia page didn’t change.  But… if Viktor made a change, would he know? Viktor didn’t realize that things were different when he made changes.  

All of this worrying and trying to figure things out was giving him a headache.  All he wanted was his Vitya back, safe and sound in his arms in an unaltered timeline.  

An hour later, Viktor reappeared, his glorious heart-shaped smile on his face.  

Yuuri held his breath.  Was everything alright?  Was Viktor still his coach?  Was Viktor still his fiancé?

“Yuuri,” Viktor crooned, “that was such a delicious chocolate!  It’s a pity you didn’t share more of them with me!”

Relieved, Yuuri let out his breath and sagged on the couch.  Thank God nothing bad had happened…

“We should get more of these,” Viktor said, bending to pick up the box off the floor.  “Where did you get them?”

"Viktor,” Yuuri said, using his most serious tone, “ _NO_."

"Oh, but Yuuri-" Viktor pouted.

"No, Vitya," Yuuri said, firm.  “We can get any other kind of chocolate you want, but we are never getting these,” he plucked the box from Viktor’s hands and threw it in the trash, “again.”  

* * *

Notes:

Alli: Story roughly inspired by the chinese movie 28岁未成年 (don't watch it, it's not that good XD)

Anne: It was so nice to work with Alli again! Thank you for coming up with such a neat idea!

Thanks to the lovely folks over at the WeWriteVictuuri Discord server for setting things up in the first place!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By popular demand, where ever did dear Vitya go?

As the sweet chocolate melted on his tongue, Viktor's mind drifted over the idea of love. To be together, to feel continually surprised and delighted by the realization that Yuuri chose him and continued to choose him. He thought of the first time he really truly knew he was in love.

The day Yuuri took him to the Tanabata festival last July. In the way that all who were in love thought they’d invented it, no description he’d ever read or seen was adequate compared to his feelings. He did not have to be told, he just knew.

Yuuri, in his brilliant blue yukata with silvery thread patterns, sitting on the seaside rocks, explaining Orihime and Hikoboshi to him. Viktor was so busy staring at the way the setting sun reflected in those wide eyes that he did not hear any of the words.

As his mind replayed the moment, the warm salt of sea breeze swept through his hair. Yuuri was speaking, telling him the legend. He was there again, only half listening. His heart thumped so hard, his pulse thundered in his ears.

“Viktor?”

He blinked up at Yuuri, bewildered by the sudden rush back.

“Viktor are you alright?”

“Yes, Yuuri, please continue,” he replied with a wide smile. The moment was so precious, he couldn't wait to relive it again.

“Well, it’s getting a bit late, do you want to head back? I mean, we can do whatever you want,” Yuuri said, a touch of bashful pink in his ears.

What had he said back? Oh, that’s right, he was merciless in his flirting.

“So generous, Yuuri,” he teased with a slow bat of his lashes.

The way Yuuri’s dark eyes cast downward slightly as he bit his lip made Viktor’s heart skip a beat. Yuuri did this when there was something he wanted to say but could not decide if he should. He’d not noticed it before, but he instantly picked up the gesture this time.

And so Viktor watched, relived the evening again, noticing all of Yuuri’s subtle betrayals of what he was incapable of actually saying. His chest tightened at the thought of how effortless it was to read these signs now. It was hopelessly endearing.

On the walk back, just before they crossed the street where Yu-topia would come into view, he turned and caught Yuuri’s hand. No forgetting how this went. As he closed the distance, the air became dense between them. A tiny spark of determination colored Yuuri’s gaze. Viktor had been so unsure of himself back then, so afraid he was being too forward, but now he understood there was nothing to be scared of after all.

He pressed a quick kiss against Yuuri’s warm lips.

“Wow.” His smile grew wider by the second.

Just as it came, it left and he was home again, sitting on his couch wearing that silly, over the top grin. A bit disoriented, he looked around and saw Yuuri sitting beside him.

“Yuuri,” Viktor crooned, “that was such a delicious chocolate! It’s a pity you didn’t share more of them with me!”

Whatever these chocolates were, they should really get more. There were so many moments he wanted to go savor again.

* * *

Note: Thank you for reading and the lovely comments. Ask and you shall receive :)

This extra is inspired by Tatiana's [tonight, together, with the stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15992450), the best festival fic ever.


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